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The people of the Eastern Sea... are very abnormal!

This is the conclusion King of Qin arrived at after years of observation and extensive review of historical records.

The Eastern Sea has a substantial population.

Although not as vast as the North’s hundreds of billions, its numbers rival Jiangnan, with over ten billion people scattered across its expansive coastal areas.

There are large and small fishing villages, and some even reside on islands closer to the mainland.

But upon close inspection, the situation with the people in this region is exceptionally strange.

Eastern Sea’s marine trade is flourishing, connecting the rivers of the Central Plains effortlessly.

Its proximity to both Yundu and the Capital City’s Main Cloud River makes it an ideal hub for maritime commerce.

Yet, the locals resolutely avoid engaging in business, handing over profits to ship merchants from other places.

Such phenomena are not entirely unheard of in some mountainous regions, where the people tend to excel as merchants, spreading their businesses far and wide while locals sometimes fail to compete. But the Eastern Sea people—it’s not mere failure. They completely abstain.

Ten billion people, almost none involved in the shipping trade, stubbornly clinging to fishing as if predestined from birth. Doesn’t that sound curious?

That’s not even the strangest part. A review of history makes it even more baffling.

Throughout dynasties, the Eastern Sea has never birthed any prominent noble families. Despite its rich resources and the passage of countless years, no significant lineage has emerged. Nor do the historical records show Eastern Sea natives serving as officials within the Imperial Court.

It’s eerie to the extreme.

On this continent, successive empires have always prioritized education and culture.

Even the remotest mountainous areas near the Southern Border and small villages near the Northern Wasteland have private schools, where every few years, scholars emerge in some capacity.

Yet only in the Eastern Sea, the absence of education appears absolute.

Private tutors operate schools, but nobody attends, leaving external officials despondent.

Everyone knows, the Eastern Sea lacks education.

It has become an accepted norm within the Imperial Court, but is this truly normal?

Ten billion people. Even among dragon’s nine offspring, no two are alike. With such a massive population, surely someone should stand out, even a little?

It’s as if they’re puppets, living preordained lives.

This inconsistency was something King of Qin quickly identified.

In his own memories, particularly those inherited from Pu YunChuan, such phenomena were absent. There was no indication of Eastern Sea people being designed this way deliberately. In other words, it seems... natural.

But the notion that a population of ten billion could naturally exhibit zero variability? King of Qin was utterly unconvinced. There’s only one explanation... it’s artificial!

But for what purpose?

Locking the Eastern Sea’s populace into an unchanging pattern—what is the goal here?

Moreover, how was it achieved?

Since long ago, he had been paying close attention to the Eastern Sea. It wasn’t until he gained control over the Eastern Sea Dragon King that he obtained some clues.

The Dragon King repeatedly emphasized not excessively preying on the populace of the Eastern Sea. A demon king refraining from rewarding his army with human flesh yet imposing restrictions on his subordinates against the Eastern Sea people—is this compassion?

King of Qin certainly didn’t think so. This could only... be an order.

Facing these bizarre beings, King of Qin slowly voiced his doubts.

Upon hearing his suspicions, the sharp-voiced woman laughed again and posed: "So, what conclusion have you reached?"

"The people of the Eastern Sea... are not human... at least not normal humans. They might even... have been replaced," King of Qin said with a smile. "And the methods used should be the same as Mister Hua Pi’s. In reality, the Eastern Sea populace... was fabricated by your Taoist Sect, wasn’t it?"

What an audacious scheme—never before had anyone imagined someone bold enough to attempt such a feat.

Replacing an entire region’s population, seamlessly and imperceptibly... over generations. The key is, they resemble humans perfectly—same flesh, same intelligence—and believe themselves to be nothing but human...

Isn’t this exactly the capability of Mister Hua Pi?

"Impressive, impressive...," the three turned their gaze to King of Qin.

Their puppet-like eyes carried no emotion, but their tone shifted significantly: "No wonder those people nearly suffered losses against you. Sharp enough indeed. Buddha Kingdom’s Old Liu searched for clues for years and found nothing, yet you—a mere youngster—managed to uncover it first."

"Old Liu... that venerable figure?" King of Qin recalled Pu YunChuan’s memories, feeling indifferent toward him. "Someone detached from the mortal realm, having forgotten their original purpose—how can they possibly find traces in the mortal world?"

"Collaboration, then?"

"Collaboration?" The eldest fisherman spoke in a rich male voice, "What do you bring to the table for us? What do you have?"

"At this point, is there even a need to test me?

" King of Qin replied lazily. "All inhabitants of the Eastern Sea are fake creations. My control over this region dampens your interests, and the Eastern Sea Aquatic Clan serves little purpose to you. However... the Four Holy Guard means a great deal to you, doesn’t it? "

The three were silent: "....."

"If I’m not mistaken, the Four Holy Guard creation techniques for the Ancient Demon Clan originated from your sect, correct?"

"And what of it?"

"The Guard Commander is no longer returning!"

"He won’t return—do you think the rest will obey you?"

"During my time in the Eastern Sea, I should be able to rally them. For now, those elders have no choice but to trust me; otherwise, they have no way out!"

"Even so... your bargaining chips are still inadequate." The lead fisherman shook his head. "We can just as slowly rally the Ancient Demon Clan’s elders ourselves. We don’t need you as an intermediary..."

"Then how about the soldiers of the Central Plains Dynasty?"

"Oh?" The fisherman sneered coldly. "You—a drowned rat betrayed by the Siao Family from the Central Plains Dynasty—think you can command its armies? You? With what authority?"

"Seems you do need them, after all..." King of Qin chuckled. "I guessed correctly. The Taoist Sect still requires soldiers to activate more Taoist soldiers. The Four Holy Guard alone isn’t enough for your forces."

"And what of it?" The woman said coldly. "The Four Holy Guard is a technology we developed to compensate for our weaknesses. When the Taoist Sect is activated, the Eastern Sea’s flesh puppets are all Four Holy Guard seeds."

"But it takes time..." King of Qin laughed. "And the other factions won’t allow you that time—only the slightest hint would ruin you!"

"Therefore, you need a Dao-protecting army. Am I correct?"

"Correct..." The fisherman took a slow step forward. "You’d best convince us today that you have a way to prepare enough forces for us. Otherwise... since you know too much already, we’re willing to pay the price to ensure you stay here!"

"Don’t even think of resisting. That trace of power from the Demon Statue inside you is nowhere near sufficient!!"

"If I came here, it was never to clash with you. The solution I offered earlier remains unchanged—Central Plains’s military troops!"

"That’s the Siao Family’s army, King Gui Xiang’s forces. And you... what connection do you have to them?"

"Do you truly believe I walked away from that era with nothing left?"

The three were caught off guard, exchanging intrigued looks. "You... could it be...?"